TENNESSEE VALLEY-Walking in the deep woods of Alabama, Brian Finzel was planning to capture photos of what he thought was a common plant speciesโฆuntil he examined an unusual bloom in a patch of Hexastylis, commonly known as wild ginger.
Brian Finzel
As a professional plant life photographer and teacher of Biology at St. John Paul II Catholic High School in Huntsville, Alabama, Finzel travels around the country to observe and document various species. In April 2019, his travels kept him close to home, looking for interesting plants near TVAโs Guntersville Dam.
โI was looking for another species of wildflower thatโs well known in Tennessee and some parts of Alabama,โ Finzel says. โIn doing so, I stumbled across a patch of ginger that looked unfamiliar. I went to examine the only open bloom that I saw and thought, โwhat is that?โ.โ
From past experiences with unfamiliar plant life, Finzel immediately reached out to his friend, Brian Keenerโ a botanist and professor of Biological Sciences at the University of West Alabama.
โI knew that unless this was one of those weird cases where the species had jumped from North Carolina or something, nothing like this was supposed to be in our area,โ Finzel says. โI took a picture with my phone and sent it to Keener, and he replied instantly by saying, โyeah, thatโs new.โโ
โWhen I saw the picture Finzel sent my way, I was shocked,โ Keener says. โNot only had he discovered a state-record plant, but a world-record plant โ a species thatโs never been documented anywhere until now.โ
Before Keener and Finzel could begin the process of describing it as a new species, Keener had to observe it in person. With the help of Finzel, Keener visited the new gingerโs site to gather information and photos. He was able to inspect the smaller of the worldโs only two known populations โ 200-300 and 1,000 plants respectively โ as the larger population was discovered by two other biologists a year later.
Brian Keener
In honor of Finzelโs discovery, the plant was described and named as Finzelโs Ginger, or Hexastylis finzelii in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (read the plant registration).
Whatโs the Difference, and Why Now?
Finzel and Keener both note that the gingerโs populations are well-established but, with no defining features that differentiate it from other Hexastylis species other than its flower, it had yet to be discovered.
โBecause the species is closely related to common wild ginger, also known as Little Brown Jugs, the leaves look the same,โ Keener says. โSo, unless the flowers are in bloom, you canโt tell the difference.โ
Finzel agreed, noting that the flowers are also hard to see because theyโre hidden under the leaf litter
โWhatโs amazing is that most of the new plant species that are being found are in rain forests, or maybe thereโs a new species of grass thatโs been overlooked โbut to find a new species thatโs this showy in the United States is extremely unusual,โ he says. โThe flowers are much larger than that of Little Brown Jugs and open farther as well. They bloom underneath the leaf litter and are believed to be pollinated by beetles, so unless youโre a wildflower enthusiast or botanist you wouldnโt know to look for them.โ
โThis was a right-place-at-the-right-time kind of moment,โ Keener says. โIf Finzel had been a few days earlier, he might have missed the bloom and species entirely.โ
He also commented on the important role that cell phones are playing in helping biologists and botanists identify, protect and preserve new and existing plant life.
โThe instancy of cell phones and text that day really helped us in identifying the species,โ he says. โPlant identification apps are now even helping botanists to locate new populations of current species as users document them โ it really is amazing.โ
Heather Hart
Enhanced Protection
According to Heather Hart, TVA senior specialist Natural Resource Conservation and Joshua Burnette, TVA senior specialist Natural Resources, the Finzelโs Ginger will have more protection now that itโs been officially described and found on TVA property, but they still need help from visitors to ultimately preserve the populations.
โWe do everything we can to manage habitat and invasive species so that local species can thrive, but habitat and population loss often occurs from people uprooting plants and taking them home, private landowner encroachment on TVA lands โ which is illegal on federal property โ and people leaving the trails,โ Hart says. โWe canโt protect every area on our own, so itโs important that visitors know the responsibility that they have: to leave things better than they found it.โ
Burnette agreed, noting that hiking and biking can be destructive activities if not kept to the designated trails.
โNo one wants to hike or bike in a Walmart parking lot โ we need nature for that and itโs for everyone to enjoy,โ he says. โSometimes there are species like this one that surprise even the professionals, which is a good reminder to always stay on the guided trails so that you donโt damage habitat and possibly eliminate unknown or rare species like Finzelโs Ginger.โ
As the new species gains recognition in the world of biology and plants, Finzel and Keener hope to have it listed under the Endangered Species Act for further protection. But Finzel admits heโs glad for its current location in the meantime.
โWeโre eager to see this plant under the ESAโ and it just might be someday,โ Finzel says. โUntil then, weโre happy itโs living on federal land and monitored by TVA.โ
Media Release/TVA Newsroom
